Human Skull Sketch: Learn Anatomy for Accurate Portraits

Continuing from last week’s skull structure discussion: When sketching portraits, I often find myself wondering where to start. Curious about shadow transitions and the hidden structures beneath, I began organizing information about facial structures and muscles. If you share these questions or are interested in understanding the skull, let’s dive in together!

Why Study Skull Structure?

The skull serves as the skeletal foundation of the human head. Understanding its structure helps:

1.Identify the characteristics and positions of facial features.
2.Grasp the logic behind facial contours and shadow distribution.

Main Skull Sections and Functions

1.Frontal Bone (Forehead Bone) (Light Blue)

Located at the forehead, it supports the forehead and the upper part of the eye sockets. Observe the relationship between the frontal bone and the eye sockets, especially the curve of the frontal bone.

2.Zygomatic Bone (Cheekbone) (Orange)

Positioned on both sides of the face, forming the cheeks and connecting the frontal bone to the maxilla. Pay attention to its position and shape changes in both front and side profiles.

3.Maxilla (Upper Jaw Bone) (Teal)

Supports the upper teeth and forms the base of the nasal cavity.

4.Nasal Bone (Dark Blue)

A small, narrow bone located at the bridge of the nose.

5.Mandible (Lower Jaw Bone) (Purple)

The movable part of the skull, forming the chin and enabling chewing.

The jaw from different angles can be constructed using structural lines to define its shape.

●Right-Side View

1.Parietal Bone (Yellow)

Forms the top and sides of the skull, protecting the brain’s upper and lateral regions.

2.Occipital Bone (Blue)

Located at the back of the head, it protects the rear of the brain. Note its positional relationship with the mandible.

3.Temporal Bone (Green)

Located above the ears, it includes auditory-related parts like the external ear canal.

●How to Draw the Skull

Simplify the Skull into Geometric Shapes

Basic Shape Breakdown:
1.Cranium: Represented as a sphere (or an oval from the side) forming the skull’s top.
2.Mandible: Shaped like a combination of blocks and trapezoids, connecting to the base of the sphere.

Gradually mark the positions of the eye sockets, nasal cavity, and mandible.

The demonstration below simplifies the skull using basic shapes like circles and rectangular blocks, treating each part as a piece to assemble. Pay attention to the characteristics of each section.

●Notice Facial Structure Slopes and Transitions

Light creates shadows according to the angles and transitions of the forehead. Our forehead can be simplified into three distinct planes for better understanding: one front-facing plane and two side planes (left and right).

You can refer to the simplified planar structure above and ensure that the structural points align correctly.

Gradually add lines to indicate contours and shadows.

If you want to enhance the depth further, blend the lines and observe the positions of the bone transition points.

How the Skull Appears from Different Angles

Pay attention to the transitions of each section’s surface area. When drawing shapes, be mindful of the object’s front-to-back relationships, as they influence the variation in line strength and overlap.

The above provides key knowledge points about the skull’s sections. Do you face challenges or have questions while sketching portraits? Feel free to share your thoughts or ask for clarification!

If you're interested in learning to draw but don't know where to start, or if you'd like to understand the knowledge behind drawing,

feel free to join my LINE and contact me. In my classes, I organize drawing methods in a clear and structured way. Click here to learn more about my drawing courses!